A Pinch of Stardust
by Lady-Arrowwood
Summary: Three times Judai tried to change Yusei's life and one time he didn't.


**Disclaimer: **Totally forgot this the first time. Still, I'm pretty sure everyone knows that I don't own anything in the _Yu-Gi-Oh _franchise. Well, except for the trading cards I bought. And the DVDs. But those don't really count.

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><p>The first time they met was in Venice. Judai recalls that he was staring into the burning eyes of a huge dragon that was about to obliterate him. Yubel hovered at the back of his mind like a skittish cat, and they were trying to sort through the situation. They were really about to run out of time, and Judai knew it. His invisible companions knew it to. Judai couldn't quite admit that, though, not yet. They'd survived so much. Surely, fate wouldn't be so cruel to end his life via a giant dragon, right? There had to be <em>something<em>—

Then, there was a flash of crimson, which turned to a blur of red, and then, into something that looked like a motorcycle. Riding said bike, was of course, Yusei, and that was the first time they'd met—well, it was the first time Judai met Yusei. Yusei had met Judai multiple times before; he just didn't know it. It was complicated.

Judai thought later about all sorts of questions that he wanted to ask Yusei. All sorts of things, from: _hey, how does the synchro summoning thing work? _To _out of curiosity, Yusei, how exactly do you duel on that thing? What happens if you're driving down the road during a duel and you drop a card? Can you stop and pick it up?_

There was really no time, though, because soon Venice was collapsing around them. _You have to go! _Yubel insisted inside his head.

Yusei calmly walked to his d-wheel and got on, before looking at Judai expectantly. "_Seriously_?" asked Judai. "I get to ride?"

The older man nodded, looking impassive about the whole thing. Judai was delighted, though. He practically hopped on the bike and then hesitated. In retrospection, maybe getting on a bike with a complete stranger _wasn't _his best idea. "You'll want to hold on," said Yusei, revving the engine.

Judai wasn't entirely sure about that. Yusei didn't exactly give off 'huggable' vibes. Rather, it was more like a 'touch me and you die' vibe. Judai wrapped his arms tightly around the other man, and Yusei shifted a bit. Then, off they went.

Judai tried not to scream like a little girl as Yusei took off, going so fast that if something magical didn't happen, they'd crash into a wall and die, and that would be a _really, really _stupid and anti-climatic way to die. Thankfully, there was a tell-tale flash of crimson, and they were saved from an almost head-on collision with a solid brick wall.

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><p>Judai got off the bike, back in a new, revitalized Venice. The young man took a moment to admire the architecture before shooting Yusei a grin. He figured they weren't really friends, but they helped the King of Games save the world. That surely had to give them some sort of familiarity. "Hey, it was nice meeting you!" exclaimed Judai.<p>

Yusei nodded, and Judai figured it was about time he resigned to the fact that Yusei just has the emotional range of a teaspoon. Then, the older man sighed, leaning his forearms against the handlebars of his bike. "You're tired?" asked Judai.

"Yeah," he said, actually offering Judai a wry smile. "Just a little."

"Oh."

_I can't imagine why, _said Yubel.

Yusei chuckled a little, and Judai smiled. "It's nice, isn't it? Venice."

"Yeah, it is," said Yusei.

"You have to go soon, don't you?" asked Judai.

"Yeah," said Yusei. "See you around."

"Sure," replied Judai.

Then, he was gone in a flash of crimson. It looked much less scary when Judai wasn't involved.

* * *

><p>The second time they met, Judai knows Yusei doesn't remember. Judai was in America. He made a habit of checking the news in Domino City, though, partly out of nostalgia and partly out of a want to feel close to his former home. He'd have missed the article were it not for Yubel's voice in his head. <em>No, wait. Go back to that one.<em>

Judai raised an eyebrow. "A scientist discovers a new particle?" he asked. "I never knew you were so interested in physics."

_The name, _insisted Yubel.

_Fudo. _Judai's eyes widened.

The particle's name? _Yusei_. Judai knew then that it's about time for Yusei to be born, if he hasn't already. That meant the great disaster Yusei spoke so briefly of was coming to pass. _What are we going to do? _Asked Yubel.

"We're going to Domino City."

They did, and it didn't take them long at all to find Yusei because he was literally thrown at their feet in some sort of capsule. _Are you sure it's him? _Asked Yubel.

Pharaoh rubbed against the capsule as Judai and his spirit companions leaned over it. The baby was crying, and he had dark hair and cobalt eyes. Judai was almost a hundred percent sure it was Yusei when he saw the _Stardust Dragon _lying beside the child. "That's definitely him," said Judai.

_Can we do anything? _Asked Yubel.

"What do you mean?" asked Judai.

_I mean, if we help him, are we going to end up causing Armageddon? You know—destroying all of time and space? That'd be a small problem. Don't you think?_

Daitokuji replied, _Theoretically, you've already changed the past._

Judai and Yubel considered that for a moment. _I suppose that's true, _Yubel admitted.

"We can't leave him here," said Judai. "He might die."

_ I am not helping you raise a child, Judai, _said Yubel.

"Of course not. Can you imagine what terrible parents we'd be? We'd really screw Yusei up," Judai said, turning it into an almost-joke because that was how he coped with things like a future ally who he'd met through some bizarre time travel thingy being thrown at his feet.

Yusei had already grown silent, and that worried Judai. Babies weren't supposed to be that quiet, were they? Yubel said nothing, though Judai could sense the spirit's nonverbal shrug. _The only child I was ever around was you, and you were _always _bouncing off the walls anyway._

Judai lifted the baby into his arms and pocketed _Stardust._

Judai knew nothing about taking care of children, and he quickly discovered that two-year-old Yusei tried to get into _everything_. After pulling Yusei away from a very shady looking man who leered at them from an alley, Judai was forced to admit that he was really a failure as a parent. He couldn't keep Yusei, and Yubel quickly agreed with him. _It's not best for him, _the spirit said.

"But how do we know?" asked Judai. "You met him. You remember how…"

Judai paused, unsure how to vocalize what he meant. He meant to say that Yusei was cracked. There had been an odd, unsettled feeling about the older man, and when Judai had seen him act so much older than he should, it'd made him uneasy. Sure, Yusei would someday have mystical time traveling powers, but he'd already lost his parents and home. Judai didn't know everything about Yusei, but he'd guessed that the latter's past wasn't exactly unicorns and rainbows. It really wasn't fair. Judai had struggled with his powers. He'd lost things because of them; no one should have to suffer like he did.

Yubel winced. "It wasn't your fault," said Judai. "I just…it's…difficult. I wish I could…I wish I could help him more."

_I know, but you've already helped him. He has to grow up on his own, Judai._

A week later, he chanced upon a woman who'd begun taking in children, whose parents had been killed in the disaster. They claimed it was natural, but Judai knew the cause. He told the woman he meets about it, about him, about Yusei. "Will you take him?" asked Judai.

She hesitated, but a little blonde boy gripped her skirt, his violet eyes wide. "Can we keep him?" he asked. "Can we? Please?"

Her stern expression melted into a smile. "Okay," she said, and then, turning to Judai asked, "But what will you do?"

"I'm going to help search for survivors," said Judai.

* * *

><p>They'd begun calling him the youthful sage. Judai wasn't sure how he felt about the title, nor was he sure how precisely he'd received such a title, though it certainly fit. With him merged to Yubel, he hadn't aged a day. He helped who he could and regretfully left those he couldn't. <em>There, <em>said Yubel.

There was a lovely, red-haired young woman; she was probably about sixteen. Judai could feel her powers; they tingled like static around his skin. She sat in the park, and Judai walked over to her. "Hello," he said.

"Hello."

Judai smiled. "You're a very special woman," he said.

Her large brown eyes met his, and Judai could see the suspicion in them. "You don't need to be afraid of me. I'm a friend. I have powers, too."

Her eyes narrowed. Judai felt her emotions swirling around her: hate, anger, pain, sorrow. "It's difficult," he said. "Sometimes. You grow into them, though."

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Judai Yuki."

"The youthful sage…" she murmured.

Judai smiled slightly. "That's right."

"You…I've heard about you," she said. "You help people."

"I try, too. I know powers can be difficult. What's your name?"

"Aki," she replied.

"It's nice to meet you. You're a psychic duelist?"

"Yeah."

Her expression was unsettled. "It's okay," said Judai. "To have those powers."

"I've hurt people with mine."

"So have I."

Aki's expression grew sad. "I hurt the people I care about with mine."

"Yeah, I know."

"Are you here to help me?" asked Aki.

Judai glanced up at the rider that stopped before them and grinned. "You were waiting for him?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's my friend. Yusei," said Aki.

Judai knew _exactly _who he was. Yusei removed his helmet, shaking his head slightly. He turned his gaze towards them. "You don't need me," said Judai. "You already have all the help you need."

The youthful sage walked past Yusei and grinned. "See you around, Yusei!"

His blue eyes betrayed brief surprise as Judai passed him. "Do you know him?" Judai heard Aki mutter.

"No," Yusei replied.

_Not yet, _Judai thought.

* * *

><p>The next time he met Yusei, the Shooting Star of Satellite was much older. "Hey, Yusei," said Judai, perching on the man's signature red d-wheel.<p>

Yusei smiled. "Can you fix my duel disk?" asked Judai, tossing it to the raven-haired man.

"This thing's an antique," said Yusei. "I _can _fix it, but you could just buy a new one. It'd probably work better."

"Yes, but this one is _mine_. Besides, you don't even do duels anymore, and there you are—building another d-wheel."

"A man can't have a hobby?"

"Nope!" replied Judai, grinning cheekily.

"Hm."

Judai watched him for a while, as Yusei's surprisingly slender fingers nimbly picked apart the electronics. "I do duel," said Yusei after a while. "If it's a good opponent."

Judai heard it as a challenge. "I never did manage to try my hand at turbo dueling," said Judai. "It might be fun."

"It _is _fun."

"You'll show me, then?"

"If you like."

Judai grinned. "I might hang around a while, then. You look lonely."

Yusei paused. "Yeah," he said, the word coming out like a whisper. "Maybe a little. Everyone went their own ways, you know?"

Judai thought he knew a little too well. "I could stay for a while," he heard himself say.

"Yeah, you could."

Judai asked for Yubel's thoughts. He was a little worried the demon might be jealous, but part of Judai thought that he really needed to take a break. _It's fine, _said Yubel. _I have you love forever. I'm not worried about him._

Yusei didn't seem to notice Yubel, and Judai briefly wondered if it meant the other man had lost his powers. "I'd like that," Judai said. "Staying. For just a while."

"Okay."

And so he did.

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><p><strong>AN: **Reading through the reviews…I actually took advice and changed some things (I also changed some things that no one mentioned, but they kept bugging me, so I HAD to change them...anyway). So thank you all very, very much for the feedback. It was much appreciated. :)


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